Biography of Concubine De of Emperor Kangxi

In a vassal state like North Korea, in addition to the annual tribute to the imperial court, there are also regular tributes such as New Year’s Day, Longevity, Winter Solstice, etc. Xuan Ye worshiped the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager in his early years, so he rarely celebrated the Wanshou Festival extravagantly. The country's regular tributes are not small, and they are delivered on time every time. Only this year, the North Korean country has not made the contribution.

Now when Lan Qi arrives at Jingyang Palace, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already sent some cotton silk, mink fur, deerskin, flower mats, silver taels of horses and the like to the harem. The emperor usually distributes these insignificant things Some went to the harem for the concubines to share among themselves.

Concubine Rong was saying: "The deerskin sent this year is very good. In autumn, I will make a mattress for the Empress Dowager on the kang. It must be very comfortable to sit on."

Lan Qi doesn't care much about the things she uses. In the cold weather, the house is full of burning ground dragons, and the mattress made of new cotton is comfortable enough. She rarely uses these animal skins in her house, and she always feels that the smell is uncomfortable.

"These pieces must be sent to the imperial concubine's and imperial concubine's room. I don't need the rest here. Send someone to ask Concubine Hui and Concubine Yi. If there are any more, I will let Concubine Xi and Concubine Jing come and see for themselves, and take their seats. I will give it to you, so as not to say that we are unfair." Concubine Rong smiled, but took out a small saber from the box on the side, and said happily, "I mentioned to the emperor before that Yinzhi wanted a small knife. Just kidding, I just casually said something in front of the emperor, this time the emperor picked the best knife among the tribute knives, and sent it along with these things, so that I can keep it for Yinzhi."

Seeing that Sister Rong was so happy, Lan Qi deliberately said sourly: "I don't have anything. These animal skins are so rare. Their materials are not as good as ours. They are made of hard clothes. Sister reward me with a knife."

Concubine Rong gave her a push: "Show me your eyes, you can just sweep through the Yonghe Palace, which one is not a treasure?" As she spoke, Pai Jixin took the gift list to Yikun Palace and Changchun Palace to spread the word, while sitting with Lan Qi. After drinking tea, he said casually, "Do you know why the North Korean country's regular tribute was presented so late this time?"

Lan Qi heard a little gossip, but didn't understand what was going on. She only heard Concubine Rong sigh and said, "It's the same everywhere. The Korean king also has many concubines, so it's not peaceful. I heard that a new jubilee was granted this year. Concubine, this Zhang family was kicked out of the palace at one point, we don't dare to think about it here."

Lan Qi smiled nonchalantly: "Every family has scriptures that are difficult to recite, but they are all older."

Concubine Rong said: "This is not unusual. Just now when the Ministry of Internal Affairs delivered something, I casually asked why it was so late this year. They said that the king of North Korea was busy with concubines in the palace, and his royal concubine April Li was kicked out just now, according to what they said, he was abolished, and he sent a booklet to the court."

"Abandoned?" Lan Qi was a little surprised. According to the specifications in the Forbidden City, the princess over there is the queen here. No matter what, the main room was easily abolished.

Concubine Rong sneered and said: "It is said that Princess Min is jealous. I think this concubine's wrist is vicious enough. She is in the position of concubine, one step away from the position of princess. She is a knife and I am fish. That princess Min has no heirs. , and lost grace again, it’s really pitiful.”

Lan Qi drank some tea and said softly: "One family doesn't know the family affairs, why should we sigh for those who have nothing to do with it."

Concubine Rong sighed: "The emperor has not established a queen for more than ten years. It makes sense to think about it. One thing more is worse than one thing less."

Afterwards, Lan Qi left Jingyang Palace and went to Chengqian Palace with the tribute from North Korea. It happened that the imperial concubine had just woken up and took the medicine, and was talking to the fourth elder brother. Lan Qi put down the things and showed them to the imperial concubine one by one. The imperial concubine waved her hands and smiled: "Who cares about their things, they look pitiful and send them tribute every year, but the things that our court rewards back are enough for them to be proud of. How often have they been treated badly?" them."

Seeing Yinzhen standing aside and listening to the two talking stupidly, he told him to study: "It's none of your business for me to talk to Empress Defei. You should recite the homework given by Xiao Hezi today."

There was a smile on Yinzhen's face, which made both mothers happy. After the child left, Lan Qi said that Concubine Rong got a small saber from the emperor, and asked if she would like to ask Yinzhen for one too. The imperial concubine said disdainfully: "I don't care about their knives. The ones from Mongolia are better. Next time, remember to ask the emperor for one."

Because the imperial concubine was still in good spirits, the two were gossiping. Lan Qi relayed to the imperial concubine the gossip about North Korea that she had heard from Concubine Rong. The robe worn in the palace is the queen's phoenix robe, right?"

Lan Qi was stunned, and remained silent for a while, while the imperial concubine continued: "That's not the robe I usually wear. You said you would take it to the nobleman Jue Chan to change it, and it really fits, but it's not my robe. This phoenix robe, Where are you from?"

"Your Majesty, did you find out?" Lan Qi was a little embarrassed and couldn't help lowering her eyes.

The imperial concubine sighed: "I don't think you have the guts to do such a thing. Although it is only a small difference, the queen is the queen, and the imperial concubine is the emperor..."

"It's what the emperor meant. The phoenix robe was newly made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The concubine only found out that the robe was the queen's color after hearing the nobleman say that the specifications of the robe are not quite right." Lan Qi explained seriously, "The concubine dare not wear it." Presumptuous, not to dare to cause trouble for you, specifically asked the emperor, the emperor just nodded and said 'take that clothes for the imperial concubine to wear', so the concubine let the nobleman Juechan change it at ease."

The imperial concubine stared blankly at her. After thinking about it for several days, she always felt that the people below would not dare to do such a thing. She is a person who is dying, so what is it to accuse her of such a crime?She didn't care about other things, so she didn't want to implicate the fourth elder brother. Fortunately, no one mentioned it. It seemed that she hadn't seen how the queen should dress for more than ten years, and no one could seriously see the difference.She thought about whether it was Xuan Ye's intention, but she was so polite, why did she do such a thing.

"It's a pity that it's just a robe." The imperial concubine was disappointed, turned her face away, and moved her body a little to change her position. Lan Qi came to help her, and when she touched her arm with her tentacles, the panic that had not been seen for 11 years entered her heart again. The same is true for Empress Hulu, who became sick and skinny in the end.

The imperial concubine found a comfortable position to lean against, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes softly to rest. Lan Qi sat aside, thinking that she was going to sleep, and was thinking about whether to leave, but she heard the imperial concubine say: "You said Fengqi Wu Luan stopped bamboo, why don't I hope so much in my heart, my aunt's queen was conferred by the emperor, our Tong family has never had a decent queen, since the first day I entered the palace, I have been looking forward to living in Kunning Palace , but now that he is willing to wear a phoenix robe for me, it is already too late."

"Does your empress really care about your status?" Lan Qi asked, "If the emperor does this, it means that in his heart, only you are worthy of being in the middle palace?"

The imperial concubine snorted and said, "You are really coaxing. After all, you are held at the top of your heart. You are so naive in thinking about things." She paused, then sighed, "What kind of robe I wear will have a positive effect on Yinzhen's future. What kind of influence? Only if I have a different status above my head, can I shelter him for a long time. The queen and imperial concubine are, after all, the difference between a wife and a concubine. You don't care, I care."

They are indeed different.Lan Qi is the daughter of a small family. From a court lady to a concubine, she herself felt that she should reach the top in this life, and she didn't dare to expect a higher status, and even felt that it would depress her own luck.But the imperial concubine is different. The daughter of the imperial relatives, a daughter of the imperial family, has considered herself to be the best candidate for the master of the Kunning Palace from the first day she entered the palace. Although she has assumed the most lofty status of a concubine in the harem, she has never been allowed to enter the central palace.

The imperial concubine smiled leisurely and said: "It's a pity that our family doesn't have any suitable girls anymore. I always wanted our family to produce a decent queen. I originally planned to choose a daughter-in-law for Yin Zhen in the clan, but after several years of cold-hearted selection, there was no one." The one I like is Yuxi, no matter how you look at it, I like it, I hope she can take good care of my husband and children in the future, and take care of Yinzhen for me."

Listening to the preface and the afterword of these words, Lan Qi knew that it would be better not to answer the words. The imperial concubine implied that the daughter-in-law she chose for her son would be a queen in the future. This kind of words, the imperial concubine can say it like this now, She can't just say it casually, although in her heart, she doesn't think it's too treacherous, who knows what will happen in the future.

"Let Yuxi come to see me in the palace tomorrow, I want to see the child." The imperial concubine told Lan Qi, "Tell her at home that I want to keep her for a few days. It's no fun raising patients here, and Yinzhen will grow up a bit too. It's not very convenient, I'll take you there for two days, just come and see me during the day."

Lan Qi promised: "The concubine will arrange it now."

After talking for a while, Yinzhen looked at them worriedly, just as Lan Qi was about to leave, but the imperial concubine called her suddenly, and said with a serious expression: "I don't need you to convey what I just said, If I want to say something, I will naturally tell him, I don’t want you to open your mouth and he will give me alms for your sake.”

Yinzhen was a little nervous when he heard the nonsensical words. He didn't want his adoptive mother and biological mother to be at odds, but Lan Qi smiled and agreed, and then patted Yinzhen's shoulder and said, "Go and rub your mother's legs. She has been lying down with blood stagnation."

"Yes." The fourth elder brother agreed, sent Lan Qi away, and went back to the imperial concubine's bed. Seeing that Er Niang was in a good mood, he smiled and took his hand and said, "Mr. Yuxi will enter the palace tomorrow, are you happy?"

The fourth elder brother likes Yuxi, and of course he is happy to know that she can enter the palace, but now why Yuxi is entering the palace, he understands better than anyone else in his heart, feels sad, and has been restless all night. Dressed in summer lotus-colored brocade, Yu Xishi, who was slim and pretty like a lotus, although her eyes lit up, the sadness that immediately floated up made Yu Xi nervous.

After saluting tenderly, she said, "Si elder brother, long time no see."